As operating systems have evolved, their primary goal has always been to make computing easier for the end user, be it a tablet, a smartphone or a desktop computer. Thanks to hybrid operating systems like Windows 8, and the deep integration that Apple’s OS X and iOS enjoy, the difference between various hardware platforms is quickly diminishing, making room for a more streamlined, unified experience. However, good as the intention may be, in doing so, some of the convenience aspects beget a security risk, thereby exposing the system in question to security breaches and execution of undesired code. One such feature in Windows – the most widely used desktop operating system – is the AutoPlay (or AutoRun, as it was formerly known). In this article, we’ll tell you how to disable AutoPlay / AutoRun for good at a system-wide level.
Difference Between AutoPlay & AutoRun
Before we get to disabling the feature, let’s quickly take a glance at what these two terms mean, and whether there is any difference between the two or not. Essentially, AutoRun and AutoPlay are both the same, in that AutoPlay is the successor of AutoRun from older versions of Windows like XP, 2000 and earlier. When AutoRun was introduced, it basically allowed manufacturers of removable storage media (particularly CD/DVD ROMs) to incorporate an autorun.inf file within the device, which instructed the operating system which application (or executable) to call when you inserted the storage device. Windows Vista onwards, Microsoft made room for more choices with the introduction of AutoPlay, which basically allowed the user to choose what program the AutoRun feature should call once invoked. This also allowed leverage for USB-based storage media, extending the support beyond just optical disks. Hence, in essence, both are the same, with AutoPlay being the more advanced of the two.
To disable AutoPlay or AutoRun completely, you can either use the Local Group Policy Editor, if your version of Windows ships with that, or the Registry Editor. We’ll explain both step by step.
Disable AutoRun / AutoPlay Using Local Group Policy Editor
Step 1: Pull up the Run dialog box (Win + R) and type gpedit.msc. Hit Enter to launch the Local Group Policy Editor.
Step 2: Within Group Policy Editor, navigate to this location:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > AutoPlay Policies
Step 3: Double-click the Turn off Autoplay option to edit its settings, select Enabled, and then select All drives in the options panel below. Hit Apply when done.
Step 4: Restart your computer.
That’s it; the AutoRun feature has been completely disabled for all users, and for all drives that connect to your machine.
Disable AutoRun / AutoPlay Using Registry Editor
Should you have a version of Windows that doesn’t ship with Local Group Policy Editor, follow these instructions.
Step 1: In the Run dialog, type regedit to launch the Registry Editor.
Step 2: Depending on whether you want to disable AutoRun for all users or just for the current one, navigate to either of these registry keys (the first one is for all users):
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\Explorer\
Step 3: Within this subkey, locate the setting labeled “NoDriveTypeAutoRun”. If it doesn’t exist, create a new 32-bit DWORD with this name and assign it the hexadecimal value 000000FF (Decimal 255).
Step 4: Restart the computer.
The DWORD defined above will disable AutoRun for all drives and devices, and will have the same effect that you would’ve gotten through Local Group Policy Editor.
Should you want to restore AutoPlay ever again, just reverse the changes that you made in these steps, and you should be good to go.
You can follow us on Twitter, add us to your circle on Google+ or like our Facebook page to keep yourself updated on all the latest from Microsoft, Google, Apple and the web.
Related Stories
Like this post on Facebook
//www.addictivetips.com Many malware applications spread because of the Autorun feature, which automatically executes the malicious file in the autorun.inf file located at the root of any removable device like a USB.
Also the Open folder to view files option can easily be used to run any unwanted file and thus risks infecting your computer. Precaution is better than cure; it's very simple to disable autorun.
First launch the Run dialogue box by pressing Win + R, type Gpedit.msc, then press Enter.
The Local Group Policy Editor will be launched.
Now navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components.
Locate the Turn off Autoplay option, then right click it and choose the Edit option.
On the next step, click the Enabled option.
Click the Apply button to complete the configuration. Make sure to select All drives from the drop down menu of the Turn off Autoplay on… option, to disable Autorun on all drives. Enjoy!
This Tech Tip is brought to you by the Business and Technology Section ... IT solutions for today's CPAs. For more information and to view an archive of previous Tech Tips, please visit us here.
Do you have specific topics you would like to see covered in Tech Tips? Email any suggestions to .
Return to BlogsThis article provides information on enabling and disabling Autoplay in CD/DVD drives for Windows 7 and 8
AutoPlay
AutoPlay (also known as AutoRun) is a feature that automatically runs a program or opens a file on a removable drive or CD/DVD after connecting/inserting it. Most automation tasks are specified in a file named autorun.inf. AutoPlay is a convenient feature, but it also means that viruses and malware make heavy use of such automation by launching or installing programs without you ever noticing it. That's why most security-aware people tend to disable it completely.
Configuring AutoPlay in Windows 7, 8 and 8.1
To configure AutoPlay in Windows Vista or 7, open Start menu by clicking Start button or pressing Windows Key on your keyboard. Type "autoplay" in Search box and click Autoplay.
In Windows 8, open Settings search using keyboard shortcut Windows Key+W, type "autoplay" in Search box and click AutoPlay.
In Windows 8.1, there are both the traditional Control Panel version (click the more colorful AutoPlay for this) and a simplified Modern UI app (click AutoPlay settings, or any other item with cogwheel icon) available.
The new Windows 8.1 Modern UI PC Settings app only allows turning AutoPlay completely off with the Use AutoPlay for all media and devices slider; or selecting actions for removable drives and memory cards. Please note that Windows Explorer has been renamed to File Explorer since Windows 8.
The Control Panel configuration for AutoRun look almost the same since Windows Vista, except that Windows 8 and 8.1 group items by device type and have two additional sections: Removable drive and Memory card.To disable AutoPlay/AutoRun completely in Windows Vista, 7, 8 and 8.1, clear the Use AutoPlay for all media and devices check box. Click Save to close the window.
If you do not want to be that restrictive about automatic actions, use the following configuration instead. First, make sure the Use AutoPlay for all media and devices check box is turned on.
Then select Take no action for the following items:
-
Blank CD
-
Blank DVD
-
Blank BD
This disables AutoPlay popups in case you insert a blank disc or connect an external or removable device such as USB flash drives or external hard drives with some of the listed content on them.
- If you want multimedia files from optical discs (CD/DVD/Blu-ray) to start playing automatically, select your favorite programs for all types of non-blank audio and video/movie discs.
- In Windows Vista and 7, set Mixed content, Pictures, Video files and Audio files to Open folder to view files using Windows Explorer to prevent potentially malicious multimedia files from trying to take over your PC. Yes, malware can be embedded into photo, music and video files and it can misuse security bugs in software that plays multimedia files.
- In Windows 8 and 8.1, also set Removable device and Memory card to Open folder to view file (File Explorer) to prevent malware from starting automatically.
- Then select your preferred action for Software and games. To prevent potential malware from running automatically, I recommend just opening the folder or taking no action at all - you can launch installed games from Start menu or Start screen, and install software using Windows/File Explorer (just double-click the CD/DVD drive and automatic actions run).
Here's an example of non-restrictive, but still secure AutoPlay configuration in Windows 7:
There are also AutoPlay actions available for several types of devices - digital photo and video cameras, smartphones, etc. You should set these to Take no action or to view device contents with Windows/File Explorer. Click Save to apply changes.